Massachusetts Statutory Research

Massachusetts statutes are first published in chronological order as session laws. The statutes are incorporated into the General Laws of Massachusetts, which is arranged by subject into chapters and sections.

Begin your statutory research by consulting secondary sources. These sources provide citations to relevant statutes and will help you determine whether your issue requires you to research case law or administrative law, in addition to statutes.

Once you have identified potential terms, begin subject research by using the index to one of the annotated versions of the general laws. These annotated versions, M.G.L.A. or A.L.M., provide the text of the laws along with references to cases that interpret those laws. Finally, update your research.

Research Tip: Although statutes can be researched online, it is easier to conduct statutory research in the books.

The General Laws of Massachusetts

The General Laws of Massachusetts (G.L.M.): unannotated official version.

Print: Law Massachusetts Collection, published every two years. Updated by monthly pamphlets plus an annual supplement.
Internet: General Laws of Massachusetts via the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Social Law Library: Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws Annotated (M.G.L.A.): annotated "unofficial" version published by West Group.

Print: Law Massachusetts Collection
Westlaw:  MA-ST-ANN database

The Annotated Laws of Massachusetts (A.L.M.): annotated "unofficial" version published by LEXIS Law Publishing.

Print: Law Massachusetts Collection
LexisNexis:  MA- Annotated Laws of Massachusetts

Session Laws

The session laws passed by the Massachusetts legislature first appear as slip laws. Later they are officially published in the Acts & Resolves of Massachusetts.

Acts & Resolves of Massachusetts

Print: Law Massachusetts Collection
Internet: Session Laws via the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1997-present)
Internet: Acts and Resolves via the State Library of Massachusetts (1960-1996)

West's Massachusetts Legislative Service

Print: Law Massachusetts Collection, directly following the M.G.L.A.
Westlaw:  MA-LEGIS database

Massachusetts Advance Legislative Service (Lexis Publishing)

Print:   Law Massachusetts Collection, directly following the A.L.M.
LexisNexis:  Massachusetts Advance Legislative Service

Updating the General Laws of Massachusetts

The General Laws of Massachusetts (G.L.M., the unannotated official version)

The annual supplement and monthly pamphlets have a cumulative table of "General Laws Amended by..." laying out the General Laws by chapter and section number, the effect of the new act, and the citation to the new act, and the date when the amendment is effective.

Massachusetts General Laws Annotated (M.G.L.A.): annotated "unofficial" version published by West Group.

First, check the pocket part or pamphlet supplement for the volume you are using. Check the currency statement: "Includes laws through the xxxx annual session."

Then go to West's Massachusetts Legislative Service. Each issue of this publication has a cumulative table of "General Laws--Amended, Added, Repealed, Etc." laying out the General Laws by chapter and section number, the effect of the new act, and the citation to the new act.

The Annotated Laws of Massachusetts (A.L.M.): annotated "unofficial" version published by LEXIS Law Publishing.

First, check the pocket part or pamphlet supplement for the volume you are using. Check the currency statement: "With all the changes in the law THROUGH the xxxx Session."

Then go to the Massachusetts Advance Legislative Service table of "Additions, Amendments, and Repeals of the General Laws" laying out the General Laws by chapter and section number, the effect of the new act, and the citation to the new act.

Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: February 2007